2024 Annual Comprehensive Report

fall 2025, the Arena will host an East Coast Hockey League team and the City is currently planning related improvements to the facility to accommodate the new team. Greensboro Aquatic Center , a state-of-the-art, 78,323 square-foot indoor swimming facility, with seating capacity of 1,850 and total capacity of 2,500 has been in operation since September 2011. Built at a cost of $19 million, the GAC features leading edge concepts in aquatic design. With the increase in demand, the GAC completed a fourth pool in September 2019 The $8.3 million project, funded by hotel occupancy tax revenue, provides 19 additional lanes making the Greensboro Aquatic Center one of the top aquatic venues in the nation. The GAC brings together all major aquatic sports - competitive swimming and diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and other unique sports all in one venue. The GAC has provided Greensboro the opportunity to host high school and collegiate events, USA swimming meets, Master’s swimming and U.S. Water Polo events as well as many local, regional, national and international competitions. Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau projected the economic impact of GAC events at more than $180 million over its first 10 years of operation. The $94 million project for the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts (Tanger Center), with seating capacity of approximately 3,000, is located in downtown Greensboro and was completed in March 2020. The project was funded by a public/private partnership with $43.4 million in public funds provided by the City and $41.8 million in private funds raised by the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and approximately $8.8 million in other contributions. Donor pledges towards funding of the project include a single private pledge of $7.5 million from Steven Tanger, granting naming rights for the facility. The City plans to pay the debt service associated with such financing from a portion of the County’s hotel/motel occupancy tax revenues, ticket fees and parking-related revenues. The Tanger Center opened its doors to host its first event in September 2021 followed by continued award winning lineups of national touring Broadway plays, major concerts and events, and comedy and family shows. The footprint design of the Tanger Center has been coordinated with LeBauer Park , a $10 million privately built facility that was gifted to the City and opened in August 2016. The park site is in proximity to the Tanger Center and includes a 17,000 square-foot event lawn space with its aerial sculpture, a children’s garden, dog park, and interactive water feature that serves as an ice skating rink in the winter. The garden pavilion can accommodate concerts and other events. Each year since 2018, the City has celebrated the three-day North Carolina Folk Festival, drawing crowds to this downtown venue. The July 2022 bond referendum included $50 million for the Windsor-Chavis-Nocho Community Complex , a joint use facility which will benefit the entire City through unique and diverse recreation, leisure and learning opportunities in one convenient location. The complex will include a modern library, unparalleled recreation center, unique aquatic facility and expansive community park. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department has been accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (“CAPRA”) since 2006, reflecting the City’s high level of commitment to developing a standard of excellence throughout the organization that meets or exceeds National Recreation and Park Association and CAPRA national standards. The City has over 3,000 acres of developed park sites and over 8,000 acres of undeveloped land from open space dedications. There are five regional parks and two public golf courses that represent over one-half of the City’s park system at over 3,500 acres.

XIII